Notes from the social design lab Habibi.Works at the European Border in Ioannina, Greece

The workshop will be held in English.
It will start with an introduction of Habibi. Works and its main principles, strategies and goals: A key method and main principle of Habibi. Works is to work with people at eye level, to support them in creating solutions themselves and listening to their ideas instead of telling them what to do. Habibi.Works encourages all users/ participants to share their skills and expertise.
Through these principals, Habibi. Works aims to be a living example of the values we would like to see in our societies: respect, solidarity, equality.
In the second phase of the workshop, after the introduction and small presentation of Habibi. Works, all workshop participants will be encouraged to share their own experience with or knowledge of open workshops and open design labs. This moment of collective
research and brainstorming will lead to a reflection: What are possible – both intended and unintended – impacts of social design labs and open Workshops in the context of humanitarian aid and other socio-political fields?
In a third part we will have a look at the complex interrelations and dependencies of intersectional crises we are facing– between the current humanitarian crises and European politics. We will discuss the motives and strategies Habibi.Works applies to tackle these intersectional crises, combined with the question: Can we develop political and empowering
dimensions of care?

Which open workshops and social design labs have we heard of or participated in that can
be included in this reflection?
What are possible – both intended and unintended – impacts of social design labs and
open Workshops in the context of humanitarian aid and other socio-political fields?
How can we develop political and empowering dimensions of care?

Bio

Habibi.Works (www.habibi.works) is an open, intercultural workshop project, a social design lab with the aim to support people arriving in Europe after fleeing their home countries as well as Greek locals and to create possibilities for exchange between both groups. It is located
in Katsikas near Ioannina in Greece and consists of 11 different working areas, e.g. workshops for wood, metal, sewing, digital fabrication, kitchen, library, sports area, amongst others. (For further information: Mimi Hapig: Ein kritischer Blick auf unsere Arbeit, online:
https://soupandsocks.eu/de/2016/05/29/ein-kritischer-blick-auf-unsere-arbeit)
The workshop will be held by Mimi Hapig, Franziska Wirtensohn and Michael Wittmann. Mimi Hapig is co-founder and project lead of Habibi.Works. Franzisk Wirtensohn and Michael Wittmann both graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts Munich and initiated Habibi Dome.
Currently Michael is doing his PhD-studies at the the University of Art and Design Linz.

3 recommended readings or other media (movies, music, spectacle, etc.)